An Introduction to Christian Environmentalism - by Kathryn D Blanchard & Kevin J O'Brien (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Christians share a common concern for the earth. Evangelicals emphasize creation care; mainline Protestants embrace the green movement; the Catholic Church lists "10 deadly environmental sins;" and the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch has declared climate change an urgent issue of social and economic justice.

This textbook examines seven contemporary environmental challenges through the lens of classical Christian virtues. Authors Kathryn Blanchard and Kevin O'Brien use these classical Christian virtues to seek a "golden mean" between extreme positions by pairing each virtue with a pernicious environmental problem.

Students are thus led past political pitfalls and encouraged to care for other creatures prudently, to develop new energy sources courageously, to choose our food temperately, to manage toxic pollution justly, to respond to climate change faithfully, to consider humanity's future hopefully, and to engage lovingly in advocacy for God's earth. Readers will emerge from this text with a deeper understanding of contemporary environmental problems and the fundamentals of Christian virtue ethics.

Review Quotes

A fine option for teachers and religious leaders looking to place a trustworthy guide to environmental ethical deliberation into the hands of those ready to engage the work with thoughtfulness and charity

Anyone teaching a Christian ethics class could use this book to create an ecological theme for the class. It is simple (accessible to undergraduates), well-researched (helping non-expert teachers feel comfortable with the issues), and thought-provoking (to spark deep and wide-ranging classroom discussion.

About the Author

Kathryn D. Blanchard is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Alma College.

Kevin J. O'Brien is Associate Professor of Religion at Pacific Lutheran University.